Venetian blind tilt bar coupling member



April 11, 1944. w. J. sTUBl-:R

VENETIAN BLIND TILT BAR COUPLING MEMBER Filed Jan. 4, 1944 Patented Apr. 11, 1944 vENErrAN BLIND 'nur ma coUrLlNG MEMBER Walter J. Stuben', Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Carey McFall Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 4, 194/4,'Seral No. 516,951

(Cl. 16o-177) 26 claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds and more particularly to the mechanism by which the slats of the blinds are simultaneously tilted, transversely, to various angular positions.

Specifically, the present invention is directed to a new and novel form of attachment key or lug by which the tilt bar of the blind is detachably connected to the worm wheel segment of the tilting mechanism. y

One object of the invention is to provide a key lug which can be driven into the end of a relatively thin wooden tilt bar without splitting the bar.

Another object of the invention is to shape the key lug in a manner to prevent it from becoming loose in or subject to easy removal from the tilt bar, whereby rigidity between the tilt bar and the tilting segment will be maintained throughout the normal life of the blind.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of sumcient of a Venetian blind to illustrate the key lug of the present invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a, longitudinal sectional view taken on the line4-4, Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the.

key lug.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the usual head rail of a Venetian blind is illustrated at I. Secured to and depending from the head rail I,

a. suitable pulley or chain wheel I6 secured to one end of the worm shaft 4.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the key lug I0' comprises a substantially at rectangular body portion Il from one of the longer sides of which v'projects a forwardly extendingwentral spear,

adjacent one end thereof, is one of the blind' supporting brackets 2. The bracket 2 is provided with bearings 3, 3 for rotatably support'.-l

ing the worm shaft 4 of the tilting mechanism of the blind.

Mounted on the worm shaft 4 is the tilting worm 5, which meshes with the tilting worm Wheel segment 6. The worm wheel segment 6 is rotatably mounted on the bracket 2 by means of a rivet stud 1, and is provided with an axial extension 8 having an upturned ange 9 at its outer end which is slotted or recessed to receive the planar key lug I0 of the present invention.

The key lug I0 is adapted to be driven into one end of the tilt bar II of the blind, which supports the slats I2 by means of ladder tapes I3 secured to the tilt bar Il. The slats are raised and lowered in the usual manner by cords I4 and are adapted to be tilted to various angular positions by a cord or chain I5 trained over tongue or prong vI8 having a sharply pointed free end I9 which is adapted to be initially driven into the end of the tilt bar Il, in the direction of the grain of the wood of which the tilt bar is composed, the rearwardly divergent equiangular front edge 20, 2li .of the pointed I9 end facilitating the entrance of the spear I8 into the wood.

From the rear of the pointed end I9, formed by the divergent front edges 2li, 20, the side edges 2I, 2l of the spear I8 lie in rearwardly converging relation to each other.

At each of the opposite sides of and spaced laterally from the spear I8, the lug I0 is provided with a pair of forwardly extending tongues or prongs 22, 22 which are relatively shorter than the central spear tongue or prong I8.

The side tongues 22, 22 are provided with blunt forward ends 23, 23 and parallel outer side edges 24, 24 disposed substantially at right angles to the front ends 23, 23 of the side tongues and to he rear edge 25 of the body portion I1 from which the laterally spaced side tongues 22, 22 and central spear tongue I8 project. l

The inner edges 26, 26 of the side tongues 22, 22 lie in rearwardly divergent relation to each other and longitudinal axis of the spear I8 and merge into the convergent side edges 2|, 2I thereof through fillets 21, 21.

Spaced along the central spear tongue I8, said tongue is provided with openings 28, 28 which extend completely through the thickness of the tongue.A

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the entire key lug I8 is of a relatively thin fiat plate like construction, with all parts disposed in a common plane.

The tongues of the lug are driven into the end of the wooden tilt bar II in the median plane of the lesser cross sectional dimension of the bar, and, due to the thin planar nature of the lug there is no tendency to spit the bar in the plane of the lug.

The pointed end I9 of the spear head central tongue I8 displaces the fibres of the wood of the bar II; laterally in the median plane of the bar, and as the terminal .points 29, 29 of the divergent front edges 2B, 20 of the spear head pass -through the grain of the wood and expand the fibres laterally to -a maximum extent the fibres tend to react as the points 29, 29 pass by and contract toward and into rm frictionaLengagement with the convergent side edges 2|, 2| of the spear head tongue I8, thus resisting retraction of the tongue I8.

Then the blunt forward ends 23, 23 of the side tongues enter the grain of the wood and compress and displace the bres inadvancethereof, as the side tongues 22, 22 are driven home.

The fibres entering the recesses 38, 30, between the inner divergent edges 26, 26 of the outer side tongues 22, 22 and the outer convergent side edges 2|, 2| of the central tongue I8 flare laterally within these recesses by contact with the fillets 21, 21 at the bases of the recesses 30, 30 and cause a jamming of the fibres into firm frictional contact with inner divergent edges 26, 26 of the outer side tongues 22, 22 and the outer convergent side edges 2|, 2| or the central tongue I8, thus adding further resistance to retraction of the lug I from the bar I.

The outer vside edges 24, 24 of the side tongues 22, 22 enter the grain of the bar II substantially parallel to said grain and therefore do not subject the wood to any lateral splitting action and when the side tongues 22, 22 are driven home they serve, together with the body I1, as a staple spanning the area of deeper penetration The libres lying adjacent the two opposite faces y of the tongue I8 which are displaced in opposite directions perpendicular to the plane of the lug ID, when the tongue I8 is driven into the grain of the wood react in opposite perpendicular directions and expand into the opening 28, 28, as shown in Fig. 4, adding further resistance to retraction of the lug tongues from the bar I.

The various reactionary forces exerted by the displaced fibres of the Wood of the bar II combine in a single eort to prevent the tongues I8 and 22, 22 from loosening in the bar II, in use and to resist retraction of the tongues from the end grain of the wood under any and all circumstances and conditions.

I claim:

1. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate includ- 'ing a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, and a plurality of tongues of relatively different lengths adapted to be driven into said end.

2. connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

3. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

4. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

5. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

6. A connector for the tilt bar and segment o! a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length provided with rearwardf ly divergent inner edges, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

'7. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a ilat plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central tongue of greater length provided with rearwardly convergent side edges adapted to be driven into said end.

8. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprisinga at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length provided with rearwardly divergent inner edges, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length provided with rearwardly convergent side edges adapted to be driven into said end.

9. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length provided with rearwardly divergent inner edges, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length provided with rearwardly convergent side edges adapted to be driven into said end with longitudinal recesses formed by and between said inner and outer edges of said side and central tongues and having lleted bases connecting said edges.

10. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length provided with rearwardly divergent inner edges, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length provided with rearwardly convergent side edges adapted to be driven into said end with longitudinal recesses formed by and between said innerand outer edges of said side and central tongues and having lleted bases connecting said edges, said central tongue having at least one through opening extending perpendicular to the plane of said connector.

11. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central spear pointed tongue of greater length provided with rearwardly convergent side edges adapted to be driven into said end.

l2. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues of one length provided with rearwardly divergent innervedges, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end.

13. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a at plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said -bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end, said central tongue having at least one through opening extending perpendicular to the plane of said connector.

14. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion adapted to extend beyond one end of said bar, a pair of laterally spaced side tongues of one length, and a central tongue of greater length adapted to be driven into said end, said central tongue comprising rearwardly converging side edges intermediate said front edges and said body portion.

15. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion adapted to project beyond one end of said bar, and a spear pointed central tongue adapted to be driven into said end, said tongue comprising rearwardly divergent equiangular front edges and rearwardly converging side edges intermediate said front edges and said body portion.

16. A connector for the tilt bar and segment of a Venetian Blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion adapted to project beyond one end of said bar, and a spear pointed central tongue adapted to be driven into said end, said tongue comprising rearwardly divergent equiangular front edges and rearwardly converging side edges intermediate said front edges and said body portion, and through openings perpendicular to the plane of said tongue.

17. A connector for a tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a body portion, and a pair of laterally spaced side tongues having rearwardly diverging inner edges.

18. A connector for a tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a fiat plate including a body portion, and a pair ,of laterally spaced side tongues having rearwardly diverging inner.

edges and substantially parallel outer edges.

19. A connector for a tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a bodyportion, and a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues having rearwardly diverging inner edges and substantially parallel outer edges.

20. A connector for a tilt bar and segment of a Venetian blind, comprising a flat plate including a substantially rectangular body portion, and a pair of laterally spaced blunt ended side tongues having rearwardly diverging inner edges and substantially parallel outer edges.

WALTER J. STUBER. 

